A George Street clothing store’s unrepentant sale of fox and racoon fur items has sparked off a petition and a series of protests. The unrepentant retailer Escale France has not answered Aberdeen Voice’s request for comment on its choosing to sell items featuring the pelts of animals which would have suffered immensely in their brief, unnatural lives confined to cages before an eventual electrocution, drowning or bludgeoning to death.
As Escale France can neither find any words in defence of its position (if such is possible) or is unwilling to speak to the press, the press speaks to animal welfare groups, individuals, fashion experts – and children – as to what is wrong with the fur trade. By Suzanne Kelly
Protestors attended legal demonstrations on Thursday 15 and Saturday 18 September
Fur is making something of a comeback; a comeback among people who by default are lacking in compassion and empathy.
Horrific existences in small wire pens, torture, suffering and eventual terrifying deaths await fur bearing mammals that exist in the fur industry.
There is no excuse that their meat can be used to feed the hungry.
Depending on the animal, dozens of animas will be skinned (sometimes alive) to create a single garment. Escale France is not bothered.
Here are quotes from some of the protestors who attended legal demonstrations on Thursday 15 and Saturday 18 September (more demonstrations are planned).
Christine Arnold Solomon, fashion lecturer who is opposed to the use of animal fur, told Aberdeen Voice:
“Stella McCartney has built a whole designer empire built on not using any animal products in anything including perfume; she uses lots of beautiful faux furs and gets the same aesthetic.”
Fiona Melvin said:
“How the animals are raised; they grow up in a cage and the doors never open until it’s time for them to die.
“They are anally electrocuted when they are often still alive – they are shocked, terrorised beyond belief.”
Kairhys, a young man, said:
“It is murder. I have a dog, two rabbits, two rats, 3 cats… they all have feelings; they can get scared.”
The demonstrators had informed the police of their plans in advance; the police who attended were found to be very helpful by the protestors. Signs and placards, chanted slogans and discussions with passers by took place.
Many people were shocked to find a store in Aberdeen selling real fur; one such piece for sale is a dead racoon’s pelt dyed a pink colour – which further begs the question as to why fake fur was not used – should any argument be in the first place – a fake pink fur could have sufficed without the animal destruction.
A petition for those against this store’s use of fur can be found here:
Anyone wishing to join the peaceful protest group can leave a comment on this article, asking to join the closed Facebook group. A further protest is planned for Saturday 24 September at Escale France from noon until 3pm, close to John Lewis.
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What can you say about this appalling trade other than to say how shocked I was to hear items are being sold here in Aberdeen. Apart from the cruelty I would have thought it is a very bad commercial decision, far better to sell a designer line by someone as mentioned above Stella McCartney. All the time I was there last Saturday no one went into the shop, I can’t see them surviving. The last fur shop in Aberdeen was on Union Street and closed down about forty years ago because people realised then they should not wear fur. There seems to be a generation now that a few don’t care.
Best technique to end this company is to starve them of custom. This strategy is well underway with this high profile action group.
I salute them all and suggest that the staff of Escale look for a new job, a job with consumer respect.
I’m not sure why we have such a problem with fur, these folks were shouting and ranting outside a fashion shop while next door the co op was selling several hundred bits of dead animal for human consumption. And were completed unmolested. My guess is that most of these protestors were typical muesli eating surbanites with the usual sentimental view of animals.
The claim that those who buy fur could buy fake fur is utter tosh, you wear fur for comfort not appearance, we might as well demand that leather shoes should be banned and replaced with plastic
Well Colin I was one of those protesting outside and can assure you I have a much more varied diet than muesli.
In reference to you asking what’s the problem with fur then I shall enlighten you. The animals bred for fur live in tiny cramped cages covered in their own faeces and urine along with that of those stored above them. They are often covered in sores and have painful deformities caused by living in such inhumane conditions. The day the door finally opens is to drag them to have anal or vaginal electrocution and having the fur removed while many are still alive. They are then tossed into a skip to die a prolonged agonising death. Most often fur is produced in countries with no animal welfare procedures. Now although the meat industry is brutal it’s regulated so apparently suffering is minimal. I don’t eat meat or wear leather because I don’t see a product I see a life and wearing a corpse just doesn’t appeal to me.
I shall also be attending the protest tomorrow regarding farm animals and the meat industry. I’m sure you realise you can’t make a point if you protest everything at once hence different protests different days.
In response to Colin’s comment; how very typical of an animal consuming person. if you actually researched what the fur trade is all about, you will be left in know doubt how different it is to our farming methods and consumption – I might add I was one of those protesters shouting outside the fashion shop selling fur, and I do not eat meat or wear leather – if you want to get all analytical let me explain; the animals murdered for fur have no other item of their body used..I.E no poor community is eating the meat! The financial benefit from fur is not for local improvements or better economical development. It is for an elite market of fashion designers and retailers who charge extortionate amounts of money…
If you wish to see the same people who you assume don’t care about our consumption of farming animals then please do pop along to see us protesting on World day for farmed animals outside M&S tomorrow. Humans have to evolve, we do not need to eat or wear animal skin/fur….there is plenty proof of this. I might add that is a great idea ban leather and wear plastic…now that is the future 😀 (slightly moderate)
In reply to the utter tosh spoken by Colin, may I just say that I was (and will continue to be) one of the protester’s shouting outside the shop whose name shall not pass my lips (i wouldn’t give them the advertising space).
As Fiona quite rightly points out, these unfortunate creatures are either bred in captivity, not knowing what it means to live a life of freedom exhibiting natural behaviour and the day of being liberated from the cages keeping them imprisoned is the day that they are removed only to be anally or vaginally electrocuted, gassed or drowned in order to preserve the quality of their fur. The carcasses are then nothing more than an unimportant by-product to be tossed away like rubbish. Being an HND animal care student I have studied animal welfare as part of my course and can tell you that there are absolutely NO animal welfare laws in countries such as China where a majority of fur is derived from.
To say that fur is worn for comfort and not appearance is so far from the point as to beggar belief. If that was the case why aren’t we all wearing it? Why isn’t it sold in every clothes shop at a price that everyone can afford instead of extortionate prices in select shops that I presume you don’t shop in, Colin?
Your guess that I am a “muesli eating suburbanite with the usual sentimental view of animals” is only partly correct. I admit to loving muesli but as a vegan I probably have a wider (and more nutritious and healthy) diet than yourself and as for the “usual sentimental view” of animals – i spent the first 18 years of my life consuming meat before I educated myself on the barbarity of the industry and 5 years ago came to the realisation that I was being hypocritical by consuming ANY animal product, so in this I find myself agreeing with him about the abandonment of leather and replacing it with manmade microfibre products instead.
Maybe if you wish to educate yourself/argue your point Colin, may I suggest that you should come along the next time we hold a demonstration?
Just seen some photographs of dogs, rabbits, monkeys, and turkeys – experimented upon for the manufacture of cigarettes. Shocking. If any of the fur protestors smoke, and I do not know if they do or not, then they should not cast stones.
Suzanne says: Interesting point. However, in many countries including the UK tobacco/smoke is not tested on animals – and brands like American Spirit have no testing at all https://peoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals.wordpress.com/tag/american-spirit/ . However a person feels about the [IMO inexcusable, violent, horrific] world of animal testing, the life of any animal killed for fur is sacrified only for human vanity. With thousands of fabrics and fake fur, the idea anyone needs to do what is done to fur-bearing animals for human ornamentation has no place in the 21st century whatsoever.